Vidya Malavade does acro yoga; know more about the practice

However, advising caution, she also shared with her followers on Instagram that one should be “super careful” when it comes to your neck.

“Caution – please be super careful of your neck if you ever want to give this a try… have someone spot you initially when you practice #acroyoga / inversions!” remarked Malavade.

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Taking a leaf out of her fitness diary, we reached out to yoga experts to know more about the practice of acro yoga.

The Greek origin word acro stands for “height,” “tip end,” or “extremities of the body”. This in combination with the word yoga gives us acro yoga.

It is a simple form of yoga done with a partner that combines the gymnastic-like characteristics of acrobatics with the relaxing flexibility of yoga. “Most advanced practitioners of acro yoga also combine elements of massage in their movements,” said Pragya Bhatt, yoga expert, and scholar.

According to her, although acro yoga seems like a new ‘invention’, nothing in the field of yoga is really new. “While acro yoga moves weren’t practiced widely historically, there is evidence of many teachers teaching yoga asanas where children would do movements which have today been renamed to ‘acro yoga’. So the origins of acro yoga can be found in traditional yoga shalas,” said Bhatt.

What to keep in mind?

Because it is a partner practice, the most important thing is to ensure that you practice with someone you trust and are comfortable with.

“It goes without saying that the teacher should be qualified. Most students experience falls and injuries when they first start out. This can be because of a lack of experience and physical ability. So students should think about slow and steady progress. Asanas on the mat is easy because the mat is stable – but here you’re in the air and supported only by arms or legs and that’s a whole new sensation to get used to,” said Bhatt.

How about acro yoga inversions?

For any asana to be effective, it needs to be held for at least 2-3 minutes. “In acro yoga, this is difficult to achieve as both partners are essentially relying on their body weight and strength. So while it’s fun to do these inversions and they do help you in breaking mental barriers and overcoming fear – if you’re looking for yoga therapy then acro yoga inversions won’t really help,” said Bhatt.

 

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